If Covid-19 has left you facing redundancy then take heart from CIOB member Paul Tedoré.
Now director of Fir Tree Project Services, Tedoré was made redundant at age 50 in October 2018 after around 35 years in the joinery, shop-fitting and fit-out industry.
He had worked his way up to director position for a specialist division of an international organisation but when he faced redundancy he says he “readily grabbed the opportunity to set up on my own”.
“Losing the security of a regular wage, sick pay, paid holiday, company car, pension and health insurance was a little daunting. But it was down to me to make something from it.
“I had always thought that I would become my own boss in my mid to late 50s. When this opportunity arose it seemed right.”
Paul says contacts made over his career helped hugely. “When I announced that I was working for myself I had quite a few calls to offer support and work. My career has been quite diverse, so some potential clients homed in on my bid support experience, others my estimating or quantity surveying skills and others my project management capabilities.
“In this way I was able to quickly start work within a month of redundancy and earn a wage.
“Even the company I was made redundant from has produced joinery for a project I was project managing on a cruise ship, so I became their client.
“Every single one can be an influencer in your success. A quiet word from a fixer to the boss can make a difference to you getting the next project.”
Until 2020 Tedoré was chair of the CIOB Southampton Hub. The last two years as Fir Tree Project Services has seen him travel across the globe working on projects ranging from luxury residential, marine outfitting, a fitout of Harrods and commercial joinery projects.
He even sailed the lockdown storm. “I am a limited company, trading for less than two years and therefore I was not able to gain assistance from grants or furlough myself, but I haven’t needed it.”
